<p class=ldtitle>A BILL to amend the Code of Virginia by adding a section numbered 63.2-905.6, relating to Department of Social Services; foster care; new luggage; report.</p>
HB76 creates a pilot program within the Virginia Department of Social Services to provide new luggage for children in foster care when they enter foster care, leave foster care, or move between placements. The bill defines “new luggage” as a new suitcase, duffel bag, backpack, or similar container, and expressly excludes disposable bags and trash bags. In administering the pilot, the Department must develop storage and distribution procedures, consider a child’s age, mobility, belongings, and preferences, and ensure that luggage provided becomes the child’s property rather than being reclaimed by the Department or a foster parent.
The bill also requires the Department to keep records whenever a disposable bag or trash bag is used to move a child’s belongings, including the reason new luggage was not provided. The pilot is capped at $250,000 in state spending, may also be supported by gifts, grants, and donations, and is set to expire on July 1, 2027. By December 1, 2027, the Commissioner of Social Services must report on the pilot’s implementation, inventory practices, instances of improper bag use, and a strategy for statewide expansion.
HB76 would add a new section to the Code of Virginia governing foster care transportation of children’s personal belongings and would impose new operational duties on the Department of Social Services. It would prohibit the use of trash bags or disposable bags for this purpose, require recordkeeping when such bags are used, and establish a limited pilot program for a decentralized supply of new luggage in one selected jurisdiction. The bill affects foster children, foster parents, and DSS administrative practices, while also creating a reporting framework that could support future statewide implementation.
The available vote history suggests broad support for the bill’s underlying goal, with the measure advancing out of subcommittee and full committee by strong margins and no recorded opposition in the subcommittee votes. The substitute version also moved forward from the House Committee on Health and Human Services with only one dissenting vote. Overall, the sentiment appears favorable, reflecting a consensus that children in foster care should not have their belongings transported in trash bags or other disposable containers.
The main points of contention appear to be practical and fiscal rather than ideological. The bill limits implementation to a pilot program and caps state spending at $250,000, which suggests concern about cost, logistics, and whether the Department can build and maintain a decentralized luggage supply effectively. Another possible issue is administrative burden, including inventory management, distribution procedures, and the requirement to document every instance in which disposable bags are used. The referral to Appropriations and the bill being left in that committee indicate that funding and implementation feasibility were likely the key unresolved issues.